I am not an expert but I used to work closely with the Human Resources department of my last employer and it seems to me that the law requires that you be given time off for religious reasons if you ask and if your position is not a critical one (medical, technical, etc.).

Maybe that only applies to things like Sunday/Holydays of obligation, Passover, Yom Kippur, etc. One OCA parish I know used to (I imagine still does) issue "excuses" for school and work with the parish seal and signed by the pastor.

Tony

Logged

Tómame como al tequila, de un golpe y sin pensarlo. - Ricardo Arjona

I'd be a fool to surrender when I know I can be a contender and if everbody's a sinner then everybody can be a winner ...I'll see you when yo

Hypo-Ortho

TonyS<< One OCA parish I know used to (I imagine still does) issue "excuses" for school and work with the parish seal and signed by the pastor.>>

This is becoming more commonplace in Connecticut, where all the Orthodox Churches (except ROCOR) have come together to organize as "FORCC" (Fellowship of Orthodox Churches of Connecticut). Under FORCC auspices, the calendar of important Orthodox holydays, including Great and Holy Friday, is sent to all public school districts with the request that students and faculty be granted release time to attend religious services important to Orthodox Christians and also with the request that planning by the school districts take into consideration these Orthodox Christian holydays.

Yes, I'm frustrated, my employer won't let me take off today(Gregorian Good Friday) or next Friday (Real Good Friday)

I thought the difference in the paschalion has nothing to do with the Julian/Gregorian divide, which only affects fixed-date feasts. Gregorian-calendar Orthodox keep the same date for Easter as Julian ones.

My point is there is no 'Gregorian paschalion' - that the difference between the Western (as used by Orthodox in Finland because the law says they have to) and Eastern Easters is unrelated to the Julian/Gregorian difference.

My point is there is no 'Gregorian paschalion' - that the difference between the Western (as used by Orthodox in Finland because the law says they have to) and Eastern Easters is unrelated to the Julian/Gregorian difference.

Serge

Sprazdnikom!

No. The date of Pascha is calculated based on three dates: 1) The vernal equinox; 2) The Jewish Passover - 15 Nissan; 3) The first full moon after the equinox and after the Passover (for the Orthodox).

For most of the Orthodox the vernal equinox date is not determined by modern astronomical science or the Gregorian calendar, it still uses the Julian reckoning which as we all know is not astronomically accurate now. There is also a dispute as to the role (or lack thereof) of the Jewish Passover in determining Christian Pascha. Finally the full moon comes into play. So the foundational difference is still the Julian calendar.

Churches like the GOA and OCA have a mixed calendar like many other Orthodox in the world today. This causes some unforseen-in-the-Typikon combinations. The autonomous Orthodox Church of Finland uses a pure Gregorian calendar and some other parishes in isolated locations as well (where western Christians are the majority) have adopted this practice with no fanfare.

There are lots of articles on line and another message board has discussed this endlessly, I can send you a link if you like.

Tony

Logged

Tómame como al tequila, de un golpe y sin pensarlo. - Ricardo Arjona

I'd be a fool to surrender when I know I can be a contender and if everbody's a sinner then everybody can be a winner ...I'll see you when yo